Tire/wheel assembly facilities may incorporate one or more automated tire/wheel assembly lines for preparing vehicle tires and vehicle wheels. This process typically involves, amongst other operations: (a) the mounting of a tire onto a wheel, (b) the inflating of the tire to the desired pressure, and (c) the balancing of the tire/wheel assembly.
Although automated tire/wheel assembling systems are known in the art, their use includes several drawbacks. One of these drawbacks includes their inability to flush entrapments, such as, for example, air bubble(s), lubricant, or the like, which may be microscopic in size, residing between a tire bead and a wheel bead seat when a tire is mounted to the wheel. Once the entrapment is present, it is factored into the balancing of the tire/wheel assembly. Subsequently, if the entrapment is bled out (e.g. during vehicle operation) the tire/wheel assembly may become imbalanced.
Accordingly, a need therefore exists for a device that removes entrapments, such as for example, air bubble(s), lubricant, or the like prior to balancing a tire/wheel assembly. As such, the present invention provides tire/wheel assemblies that may be balanced without entrapments, thereby increasing the potential that the tire/wheel assembly will not become imbalanced during normal operation of the vehicle.